May 23 is World Turtle Day. The American Tortoise Rescue was the driving force behind creating World Turtle Day, the first of which was held in 2000. They picked a day in May because this is a happening month for turtles: they have mates to find and nests to build.
I love turtles. I think they’re fascinating. It’s really amazing I don’t have a turtle for a pet. (Well, when I was about six or so, my dad did bring home a turtle for me. I lost it in about half an hour. We let it roam in the backyard, where I got distracted by something else and the turtle wandered off. I didn’t even have a chance to name it!)
Truly, though, I love turtles. Just the other day Wayne and I stopped to help one cross the road so it wouldn’t get smooshed. And he’s always teasing me because if there’s a turtle to be spotted, I’m the first to excitedly point it out. (Much to his amazement. How many turtles have I seen over the years, and I still carry on as if it’s the first time I’ve ever seen one?)
However, I learned something distressing from the Humane Society of the United States. Something I sort of knew, but didn’t realize was as severe a problem as it is. Turtles –all manner of them really, but especially sea turtles—are endangered. Not just because we’re overrunning their habitats, but because industrial fishing is wreaking havoc on their food source, pollution is polluting their environments, and they’re hunted for trade (meaning for their shells, food, and medicinal properties).
However, other wild turtles are also either endangered, or becoming so, because they’re snagged from the wild and then sold as pets. Many die once caught or en route to the pet store; others die once in a pet owners care. (Um, I like to think that little turtle from my past escaped and found a better home, either with another family or in the wild.)
Needless to say, this information has just squelched my desire to have a turtle for a pet. I’ll just keep appreciating them as I come across them in their natural settings.
Inquiring Minds Want to Know
Do you have a pet turtle?
Have you helped a turtle cross the road?
Famous Turtles
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Heroes in a Half Shell
Reviews
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie
Related Articles
Related Blogs